England；　ch。　3；　par。　43。　Some　at　last　determined　to　seek　refuge　in　Holland。
  Difficulties；　losses；　and　imprisonment　were　encountered。　Their　purposes　were
  thwarted；　and　they　were　betrayed　into　the　hands　of　their　enemies。　But
  steadfast　perseverance　finally　conquered；　and　they　found　shelter　on　the
  friendly　shores　of　the　Dutch　Republic。
  In　their　flight　they　had　left　their　houses；　their　goods；　and　their　means　of
  livelihood。　They　were　strangers　in　a　strange　land；　among　a　people　of
  different　language　and　customs。　They　were　forced　to　resort　to　new　and
  untried　occupations　to　earn　their　bread。　Middle…aged　men；　who　had　spent
  their　lives　in　tilling　the　soil；　had　now　to　learn　mechanical　trades。　But
  they　cheerfully　accepted　the　situation　and　lost　no　time　in　idleness　or
  repining。　Though　often　pinched　with　poverty；
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  they　thanked　God　for　the　blessings　which　were　still　granted　them　and　found
  their　joy　in　unmolested　spiritual　communion。　〃They　knew　they　were　pilgrims；
  and　looked　not　much　on　those　things；　but　lifted　up　their　eyes　to　heaven；
  their　dearest　country；　and　quieted　their　spirits。〃Bancroft；　pt。　1；　ch。　12；
  par。　15。
  In　the　midst　of　exile　and　hardship　their　love　and　faith　waxed　strong。　They
  trusted　the　Lord's　promises；　and　He　did　not　fail　them　in　time　of　need。　His
  angels　were　by　their　side；　to　encourage　and　support　them。　And　when　God's
  hand　seemed　pointing　them　across　the　sea；　to　a　land　where　they　might　found
  for　themselves　a　state；　and　leave　to　their　children　the　precious　heritage　of
  religious　liberty；　they　went　forward；　without　shrinking；　in　the　path　of
  providence。
  God　had　permitted　trials　to　come　upon　His　people　to　prepare　them　for　the
  accomplishment　of　His　gracious　purpose　toward　them。　The　church　had　been
  brought　low；　that　she　might　be　exalted。　God　was　about　to　display　His　power
  in　her　behalf；　to　give　to　the　world　another　evidence　that　He　will　not
  forsake　those　who　trust　in　Him。　He　had　overruled　events　to　cause　the　wrath
  of　Satan　and　the　plots　of　evil　men　to　advance　His　glory　and　to　bring　His
  people　to　a　place　of　security。　Persecution　and　exile　were　opening　the　way　to
  freedom。
  When　first　constrained　to　separate　from　the　English　Church；　the　Puritans　had
  joined　themselves　together　by　a　solemn　covenant；　as　the　Lord's　free　people；
  〃to　walk　together　in　all　His　ways　made　known　or　to　be　made　known　to　them。〃
  J。　Brown；　The　Pilgrim　Fathers；　page　74。　Here　was　the　true　spirit　of
  reform；　the　vital　principle　of　Protestantism。　It　was　with　this　purpose　that
  the　Pilgrims　departed　from　Holland　to　find　a　home　in　the　New　World。　John
  Robinson；　their　pastor；　who　was　providentially　prevented　from　accompanying
  them；　in　his　farewell　address　to　the　exiles　said：
  〃Brethren；　we　are　now　erelong　to　part　asunder；　and　the　Lord　knoweth　whether
  I　shall　live　ever　to　see　your　faces　more。　But　whether　the　Lord　hath
  appointed　it　or　not；　I
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  charge　you　before　God　and　His　blessed　angels　to　follow　me　no　farther　than　I
  have　followed　Christ。　If　God　should　reveal　anything　to　you　by　any　other
  instrument　of　His；　be　as　ready　to　receive　it　as　ever　you　were　to　receive　any
  truth　of　my　ministry；　for　I　am　very　confident　the　Lord　hath　more　truth　and
  light　yet　to　break　forth　out　of　His　holy　word。〃Martyn；　vol。　5；　p。　70。
  〃For　my　part；　I　cannot　sufficiently　bewail　the　condition　of　the　reformed
  churches；　who　are　come　to　a　period　in　religion；　and　will　go　at　present　no
  farther　than　the　instruments　of　their　reformation。　The　Lutherans　cannot　be
  drawn　to　go　beyond　what　Luther　saw；　。　。　。　and　the　Calvinists；　you　see；　stick
  fast　where　they　were　left　by　that　great　man　of　God；　who　yet　saw　not　all
  things。　This　is　a　misery　much　to　be　lamented；　for　though　they　were　burning
  and　shining　lights　in　their　time；　yet　they　penetrated　not　into　the　whole
  counsel　of　God；　but　were　they　now　living；　would　be　as　willing　to　embrace
  further　light　as　that　which　they　first　received。〃D。　Neal；　History　of　the
  Puritans；　vol。　1；　p。　269。
  〃Remember　your　church　covenant；　in　which　you　have　agreed　to　walk　in　all　the
  ways　of　the　Lord；　made　or　to　be　made　known　unto　you。　Remember　your　promise
  and　covenant　with　God　and　with　one　another；　to　receive　whatever　light　and
  truth　shall　be　made　known　to　you　from　His　written　word；　but　withal；　take
  heed；　I　beseech　you；　what　you　receive　for　truth；　and　compare　it　and　weigh　it
  with　other　scriptures　of　truth　before　you　accept　it；　for　it　is　not　possible
  the　Christian　world　should　come　so　lately　out　of　such　thick　antichristian
  darkness；　and　that　full　perfection　of　knowledge　should　break　forth　at
  once。〃Martyn；　vol。　5；　pp。　70；　71。
  It　was　the　desire　for　liberty　of　conscience　that　inspired　the　Pilgrims　to
  brave　the　perils　of　the　long　journey　across　the　sea；　to　endure　the　hardships
  and　dangers　of　the　wilderness；　and　with　God's　blessing　to　lay；　on　the　shores
  of　America；　the　foundation　of　a　mighty　nation。　Yet　honest　and　God…fearing
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  as　they　were；　the　Pilgrims　did　not　yet　comprehend　the　great　principle　of
  religious　liberty。　The　freedom　which　they　sacrificed　so　much　to　secure　for
  themselves；　they　were　not　equally　ready　to　grant　to　others。　〃Very　few；　even
  of　the　foremost　thinkers　and　moralists　of　the　seventeenth　century；　had　any
  just　conception　of　that　grand　principle；　the　outgrowth　of　the　New　Testament；
  which　acknowledges　God　as　the　sole　judge　of　human　faith。〃Ibid。；　vol。　5；　p。
  297。　The　doctrine　that　God　has　committed　to　the　church　the　right　to　control
  the　conscience；　and　to　define　and　punish　heresy；　is　one　of　the　most　deeply
  rooted　of　papal　errors。　While　the　Reformers　rejected　the　creed　of　Rome；　they
  were　not　entirely　free　from　her　spirit　of　intolerance。　The　dense　darkness　in
  which；　through　the　long　ages　of　her　rule；　popery　had　enveloped　all
  Christendom；　had　not　even　yet　been　wholly　dissipated。　Said　one　of　the
  leading　ministers　in　the　colony　of　Massachusetts　Bay：　〃It　was　toleration
  that　made　the　world　antichristian；　and　the　church　never　took　harm　by　the
  punishment　of　heretics。〃Ibid。；　vol。
  5；　p。　335。　The　regulation　was　adopted　by　the　colonists　that
  only　church　members　should　have　a　voice　in　the　civil　government。　A　kind　of
  state　church　was　formed；　all　the　people　being　required　to　contribute　to　the
  support　of　the　clergy；　and　the　magistrates　being　authorized　to　suppress
  heresy。　Thus　the　secular　power　was　in　the　hands　of　the　church。　It　was　not
  long　before　these　measures　led　to　the　inevitable　result　persecution。
  Eleven　years　after　the　planting　of　the　first　colony；　Roger　Williams　came　to
  the　New　World。　Like　the　early　Pilgrims　he　came　to　enjoy　religious　freedom；
  but；　unlike　them；　he　saw　what　so　few　in　his　time　had　yet　seenthat　this
  freedom　was　the　inalienable　right　of　all；　whatever　might　be　their　creed。　He
  was　an　earnest　seeker　for　truth；　with　Robinson　holding　it　impossible　that
  all　the　light　from　God's　word　had　yet　been　received。　Williams　〃was　the　first
  person　in　modern　Christendom　to　establish　civil　government　on　the　doctrine
  of　the　liberty　of　conscience；　the　equality　of　opinions　before
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  the　law。〃Bancroft；　pt。　1；　ch。　15；　par。　16。　He　declared　it　to　be　the　duty
  of　the　magistrate　to　restrain　crime；　but　never　to　control　the　conscience。
  〃The　public　or　the　magistrates　may　decide；〃　he　said；　〃what　is　due　from　man
  to　man；　but　when　they　attempt　to　prescribe　a　man's　duties　to　God；　they　are
  out　of　place；　and　there　can　be　no　safety；　for　it　is　clear　that　if　the
  magistrates　has　the　power；　he　may　decree　one　set　of　opinions　or　beliefs
  today　and　another　tomorrow；　as　has　been　done　in　England　by　different　kings
  and　queens；　and　by　different　popes　and　councils　in　the　Roman　Church；　so　that
  belief　would　become　a　heap　of　confusion。〃Martyn；　vol。　5；　p。　340。
  Attendance　at　the　services　of　the　established　church　was　required　under　a
  penalty　of　fine　or　imprisonment。　〃Williams　reprobated　the　law；　the　worst
  statute　in　the　English　code　was　that　which　did　but　enforce　attendance　upon
  the　parish　church。　To　compel　men　to　unite　with　those　of　a　different　creed；
  he　regarded　as　an　open　violation　of　their　natural　rights；　to　drag　to　public
  worship　the　irreligious　and　the　unwilling；　seemed　only　like　requiring
  hypocrisy。　。　。　。　'No　one　should　be　bound　to　worship；　or；'　he　added；　'to
  maintain　a　worship；　against　his　own　consent。'　'What！'　exclaimed　his
  antagonists；　amazed　at　his　tenets；　'is　not　the　laborer　worthy　of　his　hire？'
  'Yes；'　replied　he；　'from　them　that　hire　him。'〃　Bancroft；　pt。　1；　ch。　15；
  par。　2。
  Roger　Williams　was　respected　and　beloved　as　a　faithful　minister；　a　man　of
  rare　gifts；　of　unbending　integrity　and　true　benevolence；　yet　his　steadfast
  denial　of　the　right　of　civil　magistrates　to　authority　over　the　church；　and
  his　demand　for　religious　liberty；　could　not　be　tolerated。　The　application　of
  this　new　doctrine；　it　was　urged；　would　〃subvert　the　fundamental　state　and
  government　of　the　country。〃Ibid。；　pt。　1；　ch。　15；　par。　10。　He　was　sentenced
  to　banishment　from　the　colonies；　and；　finally；　to　avoid　arrest；　he　was
  forced　to　flee；　amid　the　cold　and　storms　of　winter；　into　the　unbroken
  forest。
  〃For　fourteen　weeks；〃　he　says；　〃I　was　sorely　tossed　in　a　bitter　season；　not